Here are some of the highlights from today's Birmingham City Council Meeting

ITEM 2

The Birmingham City Council unanimously approved a funding agreement for the long-anticipated Family Fun Center on the Crossplex campus.

The $15 million that was approved will support the build of this new facility which is expected to take upwards of 18 months to complete. Located directly adjacent to the current Crossplex campus, the Family Fun Center will feature a skating rink, a bowling alley, a food court, a space for table games, pickle ball courts, e-gaming and more.

In addition to the estimated roughly $85,000 per month in revenue generated, this new facility is expected to create 75 new jobs and will be managed by a third party venue management company.

Here is a breakdown of those revenues projections, as was presented to the City Council last year:

• Bowing alley $20,000 per month

• Skating rink $15,000 per month

• E-gaming area $16,000 per month

• Food hall $12,000 per month (4 restaurants with each paying $3000 per month)

• Event rental space $15,000 per month (special events, weddings, receptions corporate parties, etc.)

• General admission $5,000 per month (excluding skating, bowling, Esports)

“I’m really excited that we can bring such a huge amenity like this to the residents of Birmingham and families in the West End community,” Councilor Carol Clarke said. “This will be a huge draw for families, not just in Birmingham but the surrounding communities. It’s going to serve as another public anchor for this land on the Crossplex property that can spark additional development in Western Birmingham.”

According to the Mayor’s team, public safety will be paramount and a detailed safety plan will be presented in the coming months, however it was stated that the facility will have metal detectors.

As part of the agreement, the Council will be receiving regular updates on the construction and implementation of the safety plan.

Here is the item as it appeared on Tuesday’s agenda:

"An Ordinance authorizing the acquisition, construction and payment of capital improvements to the Birmingham Crossplex on behalf of The Public Athletic, Cultural and Entertainment Facilities Board of the City of Birmingham, Alabama (PACE Board), and authorizing the Mayor to execute (1) a Funding Agreement among the City of Birmingham, the PACE Board, and PNC Bank, National Association, under which the City will pay the principal of and interest on a revenue bond to be issued by the PACE Board to PNC Bank in a principal amount which will not exceed $15,000,000.00, to pay the costs of capital improvements to the Crossplex site necessary to develop a “Family Fun Center”, (2) a Project Lease Agreement between the City and the PACE Board under which the City will lease a portion of the Crossplex site to the PACE Board as the site of the Family Fun Center project, and (3) an Indenture to be executed and delivered by PACE Board to PNC Bank in connection with the issuance of the revenue bond to provide funding for the Family Fun Center project. [Second Reading] (Submitted by the City Attorney) (Recommended by the Mayor and the Budget and Finance Committee) (Did not receive unanimous consent. Held over to 10/8/2024)**"

ITEM 3

The Birmingham City Council unanimously approved the Police Officer Recruitment and Retention Plan from the Mayor’s administration.

Some of the high points of these efforts include, but aren’t limited to: increasing the sign on bonus to $10,000 ($5k at graduation, $5k at 1-year mark), relocation bonuses of $2,000, approving additional take home cars for patrol officers, quarterly retention bonuses, a plan to compensate police trainees to prevent attrition, 12-weeks paid family leave, and up to 8 hours of mental health observance leave on a monthly basis.

The budget for these recommendations is roughly $15.8 million and will come from the City’s General Reserve Fund -- as of 2023, that account totaled $290 million. Mayor Woodfin stated during the meeting this would not be a recurring $15.8 million expenditure.

This initiative is aimed at increasing the department’s ability to compete with surrounding municipalities to recruit and retain officers. Following recent events that have unfolded, the Council and the Mayor are focused on taking an accelerated approach to providing additional resources for law enforcement. In Birmingham, there is currently a shortage of patrol officers citywide. This upcoming class of officers in the Birmingham Police Academy has 53 individuals currently enrolled, which will make up a significant portion of the current staffing attrition.

These staffing numbers are in line with a national trend of police officer shortages in large cities across the country following COVID. In 2020, BPD hired 67 officers, and 35 retired; In 2021, BPD hired 51 officers and 47 retired that same year; In 2022, BPD hired 31 and 14 officers eligible for retirement took it; In 2023, 19 officers were hired and 12 retired.

“Addressing this issue is going to take a unified front,” Councilor LaTonya Tate said. “I’m not in the business of pointing fingers about how we got here, but I know that Birmingham is a resilient and beautiful city. We’re committed to giving our law enforcement officials the tools they need to succeed here and help Birmingham reach its full potential.”

Two weeks ago, 78 hopeful applicants took part in the BPD’s physical ability screening, the largest number since 2019. For those interested, the Birmingham Police Department is currently hiring.

People who wish to serve their community, please visit: https://police.birminghamal.gov/join-the-team/